Penton Owners Group

At the last couple POG meetings I let the cat out of the bag that I was going to ride this event. Since then several POG members have showed interest in my adventure so here is the background. I am 63 years young and still think I am 18. When one of my customers sent the information on this ride I jumped at the chance to go. I raced in the 70's and owned a new Penton Six Days in 73. My twin brother Randy and I raced mostly hare scrambles because you rode longer than MX. I never rode an enduro as I there wasn't anyone in our group doing this. Looking back this was a big mistake. Fast forward to about six years ago when I found out about AHRMA and vintage racing, I only had one C&J framed Honda XL125 disassembled in the basement left over from the good old days. I quickly started buying bikes trying to find what I had back in the 70's. I bought a nice Six Days from a guy up in New England and have been racing it in the Mid Atlantic cross country series. It came with a title and lights so it is licensed for the road. When I first found out about this event I was planning on riding a Honda CL350 or SL350, but when I rewatched the John Penton movie I came up with the idea to take the Six Days. Taking a 125 on a 2500 mile adventure seemed like a challenge. The Vintage 1000 is a Dual Sport ride put on by Speed Deluxe that begins and ends in Chattanooga, TN (700 miles away), and goes to Apalachicola, FL. It is supposed to be a 1000 mile ride on "as much dirt as possible" in five (now six) days for bikes older than 1981. I am in the middle of rebuilding the Sachs motor with as many new parts as I can and will go over the roller to freshen it up. I have to carry a tent, sleeping bag, clothes, tools and spares. Speed Deluxe has agreed to carry my extra two stoke oil so I only need a days (200 miles) worth on the bike. They warned me to carry extra gas as previous two stroke riders have run out. When spring comes I will have to see what kind of mileage the bike will make on the road. I still need to update the ignition and lighting. Larry Maiers asked if I might be able to provide updates and photos over the internet. In the past there is an Instagram and Facebook site that has been used. You can see what past events have looked like by going there. I am about 90 days from leaving and trying to think about what this ride will take to accomplish. Anyone have any ideas?

Rick a couple of ideas on the gas.  I once saw a Don Vesco tank fitted to a Six Days and that would add almost a gallon.  There also used to be a Numberplate tank that had another 1/2 gallon in it.  Might be able to find one or both of those to help.  Of course the handling is effected.  When we raced the Vegas to Reno race in 2010 we had to use a big tank on our KTM150 because it was just Tom Flores and I and we were our own pit crew.  Worked great but it handled like a pig in the sandy sections.  Did get us there and we won so all was good.  Good luck with your endeavor!  One word of advice be easy on the throttle in fast sections.  My advice to our Best In The Desert team and Baja team when we did it was always two things.  "To finish first you must first finish" and " At the end of the day it will be better to say I could have gone faster than to say I wish I hadn't done that."

Larry P

Larry...thanks for the input. This event is not a race but a dual sport run. My objective is to make it the whole way without breakdowns as I like riding better than being on the pick up trailer. I have ordered an aluminum tank made from scratch and have a one gallon Rotopax to mount on the left side opposite the pipe. The guy in charge asked me to reconsider riding a 125 because he didn't want the others in my group to be waiting for me to catch up. Not sure that will be a problem.

I just got word from Jamie at Speed Deluxe. There are a couple spots still open for the May 6th Vintage 1000 Coastal ride if you are up for it. Bring a PENTON!

I totally realize it is not a race but is still easy to push a 125 too hard on straight sections. Hope all goes well and you reach your goal.  It is doable.

Larry P

Checked the calendar and less than 80 days until I head out. Cylinder bored with fresh Sachs piston. Bottom end welded up the broken fin from the last guy prying the case halves apart and bottom rear mount cracked. Fitted all new German FAG or SKF bearings. New rod on the crank. New 1st, 2nd, 3rd gears and selector key. Al introduced me to Brian Morroni at the York meet. He is building new aluminum toaster tanks so I ordered one. I am working on collecting the lighting needed to be street legal. My Motoplat will have to get exchanged for a PVL for power. I am considering adding a small battery and rectifier/regulator so I can have a charging plug. Still need to build a rack for the bags I need to carry and find some dual sport tires.
I checked the Speed Deluxe site today and there is a new entrant signed up on a Honda CB750. I think my Six Days is a better choice. There is a Sportster signed up for the August mountain 1000.

One thing to remember if you are checking you spark plug for a reading if you note that it is a little lean you can always put the choke on a little bit to richen the gas mixture.  Just a thing we used to do on fire roads.

Ron Carbaugh

Rick please let us know how it goes when you get time. Sounds like a great adventure to me! Good luck & all of us POG members will be with you in spirit![:p]

Hi Rick, possibly some of this you have covered, but.....

   Have you considered fitting a center stand to your machine ? Sure makes general maintenance a lot easier as well as parking, and your Road Warrior might be more top heavy than the designer of your sidestand had in mind when it was designed. If you do put a centerstand on it be sure to attach an inner tube rubber band to hold it up and keep it from bouncing up and down. If you need a centerstand I can lend you a used one, I think it only has about 6 days of use on it....:)

   Speaking of inner tube rubber bands, cut some extras and they can be easily stretched across the fork stops till you need them, consider making them out of a good innertube as an old junk one just might not have the integrity that will be required for your use.

   We have discussed the engine balance, but what about the wheels? First off, I would consider not running security bolts, I didn't run them in the ISDT and it sure makes tire changing and flat repairs easier, let alone the balance issue. We just ran higher tire pressure. Might consider taking your wheels to a shop and having them balanced after the tires are mounted. Vibration is a nasty enemy....

   I am sure you already know to pitch the rubber band than covers the spoke nipples under the inner tube and put tape over them instead, then cut a hole for the valve stem in the tape. Used to use silver tape but today Gorilla tape seems to be much better.

     The aluminum toaster tanks are beautiful, but have they been tested in battle? I am not a chemist, and I don't have any real knowledge of the issues with the modern fuel in the original tanks, but I do know that we have discussed using untested components in the Six Days and I think the same mindset applies to your upcoming ride.  

   How about the chain? I read about power lose with certain chains, but to me reliability and NO or very little maintenance would be the determining factor. Not having to maintain the chain would be a big bonus.

   Pay close attention to getting the swingarm bolt properly tightened, and be sure to use a graphite type material on its threads as well as the motor mount bolts that will need to be checked. Every set of threads on my ISDT machines had either a thread lock material or a never seize type material on them. I am sure as an airplane builder you know all of this, but just wanted to mention it.

  I gave thought to mentioning fitting a D cylinder for a little more power, but I don't think power will be an issue. A good reliable B cylinder / head /carb set up will do just fine. But if you were concerned about power, possibly choosing out of your cylinders the one with the largest overbore might give a tiny bit more. It has been interesting pulling apart some of the "A" engines that Ted Penton and the R & D guys built "back in the day" for the Steel Tank race machines and seeing them fitted with the largest overbore Sachs made, they obviously only had one thing on their mind and a parts room full of cylinders...:)  

    Reliability is the name of the game....and having fun :D  I always said I would rather have my Six-Days machines heavier that the next guys and know it was ready for anything, and that every item on it was proven.

   Are you using 35mm forks ?  What about rear tire size, I personally always liked bigger tires rather than smaller and your machine will be a little heavier than usual.

   When sliding the brake cams into the backing plates be sure to put a little grease on them as well as on the cams when fitting the brakes. Using a wire wheel on the shaft of the cams as well as the cams themselves to get them really clean before applying the light coat of grease never hurts. I always liked to have a machine set up so that when you pushed it there was nothing creating any power robbing rolling friction and a hung up brake cam is a real pain. I realize a little to no maintenance chain may steal a little power, but that seems like a fair trade off to me.

  I am sure you know most if not all of this stuff, just enjoying thinking about it. You will do fine...:)

Paul

Paul
Thanks for the input. I have been thinking about the crank balance problem. The Penton Sachs workshop manual, page 41, balances the crank at 8o to 83% of G. The crank you provided balanced at 59%. Just for my own education I balanced a 1974 Honda CR125 crank and it tested at 49%. I then checked a 1978 YZ125 crank and it was 53%. Even if my work has slight error Sachs is way off. I think you were on the right track as my Six Days vibrates like crazy. With the heavier replacement rod a stock crank would balance better than 80% without other work. I think I will start at your 59% and if I have time I will try even less. It is surprising to me that the Germans missed the balance by so much.

Yikes...I just learned that the Vintage 1000 is more like 1500 over six days now that the organizer has the route almost laid out. This is becoming more of a challenge and will be more like 3000 miles round trip. 70 days until I head out. Working on completing the motor since balancing the crank following what Paul Danik had done to his 73 ISDT motor. I ended up at 55% of G on the balance. Time will tell if it was the right thing to do. I loose a Jag out of my shop tomorrow and will bring the bike in so I can check wheel bearings and such. I need to build a rack for my bag and Rotopax gas can, add lights and change the tires. I will disassemble the hubs/brakes and lube everything as there will be streams to cross and rain.
Paul...I will take you up on your offer to borrow a center stand to copy. Just being able to lube the chain by myself will make it worth having. I can build one and return it right away. I think a spare chain might be a good thing to carry. I have been using DID nz er chains and they hold up very well and don't stretch much. The 14/54 gearing and 15/57 are almost the same but I think the larger front sprocket is the way to go.
In case I get into trouble are there any POG members in the route area between Chattanooga and Apalachicola around the Alabama/Georgia border that own Sachs powered machines?
70 days to get it all figured out...
Anyone else want to come? There are three spaces left and you still have time to get ready!
Rick

HI rick;
  This sounds like fun and if I were ten years younger and single I might like to ride along with you! In regards to a spare chain. Since space and weight are an issue, I wouldn't take a complete spare chain. Just preride the chain you will be using to break it in. get it all lubed up and ready to go. When I was racing enduros back in the day, I would make a kit of a single,two, four and six link sections of chain along with some half links and some spare master links, plus a small chain breaker. The idea is to just put your chain back together any way you can using that kit. if you have the tension set properly, maybe just a bit loose with a spring loaded tensioner, I doubt that you will run much risk of breaking a chain, and like wise wearing it out on the ride. The links ans other spares will at least let you ride out of trouble. On my first ride after being off a bike for 25 years, I decided to run the ISDT Reunion Ride in Cas Arkansas at the last minute, like when I woke up in the van on Saturday morning! I had just put my 1975 Husky 250WR back together after getting it back from the guys who owned it. I had hand wound a primary coil for the ignition in order to get it running, and other than that, the bike was exactly as I had last raced it in 1975 or '76. Same tires and everything!. I had put several spare master links at the intersection of some spoke on the front wheel where they could be seen and they were still there. I hit them with a little oil just in case I would need them, and found the little pack of links I had from back in the day in an old tool box and put it in my tool bag. About 10 or 12 miles out, (you guessed it!) the chain broke. I had just enough stuff, including the small chain breaker that I had from back in the day, to piece the chain back together, and I managed to finish the day. That afternoon I was able to buy a new chain from Jeff Fredette and put it on for the next days ride, and managed to finish both days without houring out after not having ridden a motorcycle for 25 years! I think you should just focus on what you can fix on the road and plan for that, and even have an idea of what it would take for you to drop out, and use that thought to help you plan what to take. Keep it to a minimum of absolutely the most necessary stuff to keep weight down, and trust your instincts and a thorough pre-ride preparation and inspection. You know your bike, and you know your limits, that should help you figure it all out. Good luck and have fun, and wish Oi was going with you! Sounds like a lot of fun!
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

Daniel
Great idea to just fix a broken chain. I only rode hare scrambles back in the day so a broken chain meant you were done. You guys that ran enduros looked at breakdowns differently. Exactly the kind of input I am looking for. Weight will be a problem on a 125, so the less I take the better. As for the ten years younger part, my feeling is that I don't want to regret not doing this trip when I get even older than I am now. Whatever happens it will be a fun adventure.
Rick

Didn't see it posted; here is the link for the SD1000:

http://speeddeluxe.com/sdva/vintage1000/

Talked to the Speed Deluxe folks this morning, the biggest problem with 2-strokes is lack of power on the elevation changes...and they were talking about 250cc bikes.

Pete Petrick
175 Jackpiner
Slow but Good

Paul Danik told me it would be OK for me to wait for them at the top.
Rick

:D  LOL!


Larry P

Quotequote:Originally posted by Rick Bennett

Paul Danik told me it would be OK for me to wait for them at the top.
Rick

    YEAH BABY!
  That's the attitude to have!!
  Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

Rick, re: proper D/S tires:
I strongly suggest Kenda K 270 tires.
I have used these for tens of thousands of miles on long distance D/S -ADV type rides. Alaska, Continental Divide, CO, UT, GA, Pines...you name it.
Hard gravel, sand, mud, pavement...they have never let me down, and they will last for your 3000 mile marathon!

They do run a bit small in size.
The 350x 18 would be too small for your bike...even though you might normally run a 350 knobby for our HS races. Their 450 might be too big...
They list both a 400 and a 4.10 x 18.
Not sure how different the 2 are...but that is the size I would recommend.

For the front, probably their 300 would be fine...but even their 325 is not too Porky. It is what I use on my WR250R.

I agree with Paul re: no rim locks. We may need them when we run 10lbs in our HS races...but you'll be running 25 or so for the gravel and jeep roads you have described.

Richard Colahan
1969 V1225
Upper Black Eddy PA

+1 on the Kenda 270.  Good tire and can be found at really good prices.

My understanding of the K270 is that it is based off a trails tire platform and it works best at lower pressures even loaded. The K270 was my buddy's "Go To" tire on his KLR650, he would load that bike down for multi week trips and only run 25psi of tire pressure.

Pete Petrick
175 Jackpiner
Slow but Good

Kenda Tires work great! 300- & 400- no bigger! Free advice & worth every penney![:p]

Rick, have been reading your thread since the beginning and thought I might as well add my 2 cents. TIRES & TUBES - I think you can have them carried by the chase truck, once you get there.  They can be carried over you shoulder on the way to start area.  TUBES - On the AVD ride a single 21 inch tube can be used for front and rear wheel.  Carry a CO2 inflation kit with a couple of extra cartridges and a small patch kit with NEW cement. Don't forget a pair of good spoons to get the tire on and off.  CABLES - An extra throttle, clutch and brake cables should be on board too. CHAIN - The chains of this day and age are FAR superior to the OLD ones, they last just about forever.  We OLD TIMERS still carry repair stuff, But it is VERY infrequently used.  The one thing that wears most is the master link clip.  GEARING - What I would suggest is that you use the largest counter shaft sprocket that you motor will pull in top gear.  Take smaller sprockets to change gearing when you get to the start area. Mount a NEW chain with the large CS sprocket and the rear axle moved forward as far as possible. Run this arrangement for a few miles to settle the chain and check chain slack, with the axle again moved forward. IF you can remove a link and have the proper slack, you should be good to go. By doing as I have suggested. You will only have to mount the smaller CS sprockets and set chain slack by moving axle to the rear.  Be sure to have the correct CS puller and wrench with you.  MOTOR BALANCING? - Back when, we never thought too much about motor balance.  If the tolerances are with in the limits I would not worry about balancing. When I was in the service in Germany you could hear a Sachs motor coming 2 Ks away - they would be scream the guts out of them.  Yes, they were small road bikes, but as I remember the off road motors were developed from them.  Another thing I would recommend would be to check the steering head bearings. Check them, repack with grease & set to specs. END PAGE 1 [:p]

Thanks guys on the tires. Just picked up a set off ebay. Brian Morroni contacted me. He will have my aluminum tank done in about a week. My motor is coming along nicely. Finished putting the case halves together last night. I need to see if Al has new lock tabs for the clutch side and get a PVL ordered. This was a spare motor from under the work bench. I think I will freshen up the motor that is in the bike now. It has a year of racing on it and has a tranny problem. In the meantime I will work on the rack for the spare fuel and bags. I paid my final payment and filled out the required form so I guess there is no turning back. Should be fun.

PAGE 2.  I recommend that you have a set of bark busters mounted and maybe even mounting a pair of gal. milk jugs for hand protection and to keep hands dry if you hit a rain.  RAIN GEAR - 2 piece works best for me.   The jacket also doubles as a wind breaker.  HELMET - I think a full face is best and one that you can mount a full shield to.  Nothing worse than having rain beating on your face. Also a small towel to wrap around you neck to catch the run off from you helmet, this keep the water from running down your back to the crack of your you know what. Good gloves for the road ride and TOTES rubber pull over boots.  OIL -  for 2 strokes.  I have used Golden Spectro since JP marketed it as Hi Point brand.  I used to mix it at 50 to 1., but I have been running it a 60 to 1 for the past couple of years. It is claimed the you can run it at 100 to 1.  No one that I know has the intestinal fortitude to do so.  Less oil less smoke and drool.  I had over 5000 miles on my 200 KTM before I rebuilt it. Golden Spectro-GOOD STUFF.  Be sure that you jetting is correct for the ratio that you are running.  When I do AVD rides or long trail runs I wear a Camel Back back pack.  It carries all of the tools (small channel locks and vice grips are a must), snacks and other gear that I think I need -- plus Water.  It is easy to dehydrate on a long run.  A small elastic cargo net is also an asset.  OH, don't for get a few extra light bulbs and a small pocket knife and flash lite. Stuff that you don't want to be encumber with on the way down can be sent a head general delivery to the nearest US Post Office to the start location or locations along the ride in care of you. Don't WHAT IF this ride to death. Remember Penton bikes ran and finished ISDT events.   Seventy five % of the stuff you take will never be used and the other riders can provide something you didn't think of and you have a chase vehicle for full back up. I would like to go along with you, but my oldest bike is a 1982 Suzuki PE175. I think that just about covers it all. Have a GOOD TIME, relax and go with the flow. Amherst Paul [8D]

I am down to less than 60 days now. The Kenda tires arrived and look chunky enough for dirt and are DOT approved. The spare motor is done waiting for an ignition. My poor Six Days is spread all over the floor as the motor had to come out since it had a busted trans from a year ago. I have been way too busy to fix it till now. I took it all apart and found the key broken into two pieces and jammed into first and second gears locking it up. I had to remove the chain to get towed out of the woods. Too bad since I had finally figured out how to get the adjustment perfect. Both gears, mainshaft, selector shaft and key are ruined. I am not sure if the key was original or repro. I will bring it to the meeting for the experts to vote on. The repair will use up the last of my spare parts. Otherwise an easy fix with the rest of the motor in perfect shape. I think I have ordered all the parts I need get the bike back together. Al B. should have a nice bill for me Thursday night at the meeting. I keep revising the lists of what I want to take for spares and tools. I plan on sending a case of Spectro oil to Chattanooga UPS so it will be there when I arrive. The spare motor will be sitting in my shop all done and waiting, scaring off the demons. Hope I don't need it.
Rick

50 days out. Both motors are done. Brian Morroni called and my new aluminum tank is on its way. I cleaned up the frame and installed new Preston Petty Mudders as my PVC fenders were cracked. Picked up an original tool rack from Paul Danik and bought a bag from Al B. for my spares and tools. I also purchased a center stand from Parmabike in Florida. It fit perfectly and makes working on the bike much easier. I hadn't noticed when rebuilding the spare motor but the threads on the crank for the ignition were mushroomed from some hammer mechanic. I bought a LH 10x1.0 die off Ebay but it was made in China and wasn't up to the job. It now resides in the trash can. 45 minutes later the crank will accept a nut thanks to an American made thread file. I am going to use a Honda SL350 headlight switch for lighting and horn. My 3AH Motobatt battery fits nicely between the fork tubes behind the headlight. I found a 12V rectifier/regulator to add to the system for charging off of the AC PVL ignition. This will be used for keeping my cell phone and GPS charged. I am shooting to be ready to ride as of April 1 which will give me 30 days for breaking in and testing gearing. That's about it for now.
Rick

Those of us that cant go are with you in spirit! [:p]

Yesterday was a good day! My aluminum tank arrived and the motor is back in the frame!
Rick

The days are counting down. Under 40 now. The bike is progressing nicely. The O rings on the steering stem have always been too tight so I found some smaller ones. New wheel bearings,fork oil, tire, Honda SL350 headlight and some extra LED driving lamps finished up the front end. I painted the gas tank green and added decals. I should have been done by now but my time has been split rebuilding a basket case XR75 for my Grandson to begin his riding career on. The case of Spectro two stroke is here. Now I have to decide what ratio to use. I will be having to pour oil and gas directly into the tank without mixing first. Not too sure if I should add the oil first or last. Probably last so I will know how much fuel the fill up took, then shake the whole bike. Thanks for all the input given. It all helps me think in different directions.
Rick

Anyone else looking for an adventure???? You still have time to get ready. 5 spaces are left.

Evening Rick,

   I had mentioned to my wife that you were doing this ride and she loves the idea of me doing it in 2020. With my motocross career being placed on hold with my impending shoulder surgery I've been thinking about taking up trail riding. But I'm waiting to commit to doing it until you finish and report back as to how rough it was. I've been looking at 4 stroke Honda's as a possible mount. I maybe able to get a 70's XL 250 that needs a total going through and that fine by me, because this way I will know all systems will be a go !!!!.
Talk soon.



Thanks Jim

Group
It lives...
Thought I should check in for an update. Two weeks out.

This project is eating hours just to get ready. Not to mention that I finished the XR75 for my grandson and he raced his first race last Sunday at Rocket Raceway. I had decided to take it easy for my race and started in the last row with the novice riders. I was going to trail ride and not get hurt before this upcoming trip. About a half lap into it I changed my mind. Having all the slower riders to pass was a blast. I finished 23rd out of 55 in the vintage race.
 
Started the motor tonight on the second kick. The lights are working on AC for now until I can add the battery and rectifier into the PVL system. My Honda headlight switch isn't going to work and has been scrapped. I need to finish putting the airbox together and make some minor adjustments. I will be hitting the streets tomorrow rain or shine.

Bikes signed up for the May Coastal ride:
79 Honda XL250
70 Honda SL350
71 Honda SL350
74 Honda CL350
74 Honda CL450
81 Honda XL500S
80 Honda CB750
77 Suzuki TS250
76 Kawasaki KZ400
74 BMW R100
69 Triumph TR6
68 BSA Rocket 3
and my 74 Penton Six Days

More in a couple days...

Rick

More than half the bikes entered are Honda. My experience with Jap. bikes was Honda was very reliable & trouble free. Thanks for the update on your journey.[:p]

WOW!!!!!
I put 50 miles on my Penton Six Days Adventure and it runs GREAT!!! First test looks like just short of 50 mpg, maybe 45, and absolutely NO problem doing 55 mph with 15/57 gearing. In fact it likes 5th gear to go this speed. It is just a bit too slow in 6th when you get to a hill. The transmission is shifting perfectly. My only complaint is that the clutch is dragging a bit. This bike is very stable on the road. At least as good or better than my Honda 350. The other riders are going to be surprised by this little 125. The GPS shows the VDO is clocking 58 when I am doing 55. Not too bad for a 45 year old speedo. The brakes are better than the Honda. The suspension is a bit stiff but I am not loaded with camping gear. I will do that tomorrow. I am really getting excited to do this ride.

Rick

Hi Rick, nice ride report :)

On the clutch issue, possibly slacken all the tension on the clutch cable and then check your adjustment inside the clutch cover thru the access hole where you access the clutch pressure plate cam / screw adjustment.

Also, if that doesn't do the job, if I remember correctly there are two different clutch covers with one having a steeper angle on the ramp that the clutch activator that pushes against the pressure plate rides on, possibly you have the one that has the lessor angle and the other may do the job better. Possibly someone with current knowledge on those clutch covers could chime in. I am going from memory from a long / long time ago.

Glad to see you so pumped up.......:D

Paul

Paul

It is hard for me to get neutral with the motor running. This motor is not the one I have been racing, just a core I picked to rebuild. Thanks for the tip on different covers. Something else I didn't know. I will take a look at my spare motors and see what I have. I had already done a clutch adjustment and only backed out the brass screw 1/4 turn. It seems as though the center part of the cable is too long as my lever adjustment is almost all the way out. The cable is a Terry, not original and I didn't know if the got the length a bit long. I will pull the cover and recheck the clutch. I had measured the thickness of the discs when I assembled the motor and they were nearly new. I have one set of new plates I could try. As soon as the roads dry off I will be back at it.

Rick

Paul

If the cover has a steeper angle does that mean the cam cup was changed as well?

Rick

So you are saying you have a Sachs engine that is difficult to find neutral in......:D  A rare bird indeed...

I would put a stock cable on it just to see if it makes a difference.  Possibly with all the cable adjustments towards their most extended adjustments you are losing some of the mechanical advantage / pull of the clutch lever. Don't know if that is the case or not, but good to try that first in my opinion.

Paul

The clutch cup and side cover are different and were changed as a set. Just had to look in the parts manual. Found one in the basement.

Well...pre riding is a good thing. I have found out that the gas cap gasket lasts exactly one day...sorry Al B., but it must be the rubber from China. Also, it is possible to melt the fuel line to the bottom of the pipe...way to go Rick for not seeing that one coming. I built a rack to hold the Rotopax one gallon fuel can on the LH side this morning. I have the tent, sleeping bag and air mattress on board. Heading out for another test.

Rick

Rick, do you have a Spot tracking device?
I use one for safety purposes on long distance ADV and D/S rides, especially when riding solo.

If so...let us have the web address for your trip so we can follow along each day.

Richard Colahan
1969 V1225
Upper Black Eddy PA

Richard
I do not have a tracker. I am taking an iPad with me and will post daily or whenever I can get connected. I will also be taking photos along the way. I haven't been able to master inserting photos with my copy, so everyone will have to wait for a presentation at a meeting or newsletter story. I could email a few photos to someone if they wanted to post them for me.

I put another fifty miles on today with the bike loaded with my camping gear. All is well with my Penton. I burned 8 1/2 quarts of fuel for the 100 miles making 47 mpg doing 50 to 55 mph. I plan on leaving on the 2nd of May, taking three days to reach Chattanooga. That will give me one day for any needed maintenance before the start of the on dirt 1400 miles.

What I need to do now is figure on what tools and spare parts to take. Any suggestions?

Adam is prerunning the entire route this week and will fill us riders in on details when he finishes. I had ask him the distances between fuel stops. He is adding them to our daily route sheets. He will be giving us the nighty stop addresses as well.

Rick

I shipped off 9 bottles (times five gallons times 47mpg equals 2115 miles) of Spectro to Adam in Chattanooga today along with a John Penton DVD. That should give him something to think about. One week from tomorrow morning I will be on the road. Sure hope we get some nice weather.
Rick

Hi Rick,

   You probably have thought of these items...but.  
spoke wrench, spare charged cell phone battery. and don't laugh...small quality of tp incase a quick trip to the woods is called for.


   I would think that when John made his record setting cross country run he surely had some tp tucked away somewhere, and instead of a spare cell phone battery he had a few dimes in his shoe for the pay phone. Funny how in all those years how much some things have changed while others are very much the same :)

Paul

Hi Rick,

   You probably have thought of these items...but.  
spoke wrench, spare charged cell phone battery. and don't laugh...small quality of tp incase a quick trip to the woods is called for.


   I would think that when John made his record setting cross country run he surely had some tp tucked away somewhere, and instead of a spare cell phone battery he had a few dimes in his shoe for the pay phone. Funny how in all those years how much some things have changed while others are very much the same :)

Paul

Paul

That's what I like about you...your always thinking. How about some candy bars. Worked for JP. Ya, TP is a must.

Since it is a vintage ride I rewaxed my Barbour jacket. Might as well have the whole experience. Nothing like a slightly soaked Barbour in the morning.

Rick

I have some news on campground locations now.
Monday night, May 6 Turnipseed Campground, Lineville, AL
Tuesday Hardridge Creek Campground, Abbeville, AL
Wedensday St. George Island State Campground, Appalachacola, FL
Thursday Georgia Veterans State Park, Cordele, GA
Friday Don Carter State Park, Gainesville, GA
Saturday back at Chattanooga, TN

Rick

Just a few days out now. One of my reasons for doing this trip was to learn something about Penton sportcycles and their Sachs motors. Having rebuilt the motor for this ride I thought I had done a good and complete job. During my 100 mile testing I found that the clutch dragged slightly and it made finding neutral hard when stopped. I pulled the clutch cover and found metalic paint in the oil. This is not the motor I had been racing but a spare off the shelf. Apparently the bush under the layshaft wheel is a bit too loose and along with a few teeth being lightly pitted from previous rust, the gear is grinding itself to death, even with Spectro 80 gear lube. Back to the spare parts on the shelf I found a better gear/bush and have cleaned up the mess in the case. Fresh oil in and I will be hitting the road for Chattanooga Thursday morning. Rebuilding 45 year old motors is not always easy and every one has a different set of challenges. One of the motors I disassembled to look at for spare parts has 1/8 inch of mud in the bottom from having no rubber boot around the clutch cable. It was running like this. Tough motor!

Rick

Looks like I may be leaving in rain, yippee.

Best wishes on a great trip Rick!
We'll be looking for updates along the way.

Richard Colahan
1969 V1225
Upper Black Eddy PA

Packing day...last day home. I am finding out it is not what you can take but what you have to leave home. Not much room on a 125.
Rick

Rick,

   All the best to you on your endeavor. Keep in touch.

Paul

Rick,  Here's  wishing You a SAFE AND FUN RIDE  !!!   Nelson McCullough

58 degrees and raining....will hold off leaving for about an hour. I will be glad to be on the road. Tired of packing and repacking.

Rick

Every Cloud has a silver lining. I hope the weather clears for you.[8D]

Ok, sorry for the delay in posting but no WiFi at the two places we stopped at on the road. We left Ohio in the rain on Thursday morning and headed south. Sticking to back roads took us down route 44 to 303 west then south again on the west side do 71. Fuel stops are around 100 miles apart. My Six Days is getting 50 mpg. This bike is just amazing. I have absolutely no problem keeping up with Randy's 350. I can easily cruise at 55 with power to spare, even loaded with camping gear.

Lessons I am learning...
It doesn't matter what you spend on rain gear, you will get wet after an hour at 55 mph.
You dry out pretty quickly once the sun comes out, except for the sloshing in your boots.
This beats working.

The rain stopped long enough to mostly dry out when we stopped for gas. I filled up, added oil into the tank and shook the bike to mix the oil in. Heading off down the road got me about 50 yards before the motor quit. A check of the fuel filter showed the problem, it was full of oil, not gas. Shake the bike a bunch more, restart and kill a neighborhood full of mosquitoes and I was off. From this point on I stirred the tank with my large screwdriver before returning the fuel tap to on.

Guess what...it started raining again. South of route 70 I got to thinking that it would be nicer to stay dry instead of camping in a tent and called on a WW1 flyer buddy and asked if we could stay in his hanger near Jamestown. This worked out and we stopped for the night at 250 miles completed.

Guess what...it was raining when we woke up. No sense in waiting so we hit the road. No staying dry and my boots still slosh. We passed into Kentucky and it dried out a bit and the sun came out. Further south, guess what...it started to rain. The Penton is running GREAT. It doesn't care what the weather is doing. Most of the trip has been trying to stay off of divided highways, but it doesn't always work. When we do have to run with the semi  trucks I stay in the right lane and run 60 with no problem. Around the 500 mile mark we found a nice place to camp. General Burnside Island was right by our path south and not crowded. Pitched the tents, made dinner and serviced the bikes.

Guess what...it is raining when we woke up. Packed up wet tents and off down the road. I really like this Penton adventure bike. It is a blast to ride on the road. Yes, my boots are sloshing again after nearly getting them dry over the campfire last night. Stopped for breakfast at a roadside diner just as the sun came out. While eating, checked the weather for the last 120 miles into Chattanooga. 90 percent chance of, you guessed it, rain. No sense in hanging around...off into the storm. My boots are sloshing. I am starting to consider drilling some drain holes in the bottoms.

Rolled into Chattanooga and used the gps to find Adam of Speed Deluxe, the founder of the Vintage 1000.

Oh yea, forgot...my VDO died a slow and painful death, along with my headlight. I also lost one chain adjuster bolt on the road. Other than that...my Penton runs GREAT.

Stopped at Autozone and purchased two new lights and a bolt at Ace Hardware.  Out for Mexican and your up to date. Heading out at 5 am tomorrow morning for a sunrise ride and then maintenance before the 1000 begins Monday morning.

What a blast...my boots are still soaked. My Barbour jacket actually does as well as my Gortex pants.

Guess what...it is still raining.

Rick

Morning ride canceled on account of rain but it seems to be stopping. Boots spent the whole night in front of a fan and are much dried out. The plan today will be to change my transmission oil and generally check the bike over. We stayed at Luke and Fritzel's house so no camping for last night or tonight. They are both riding the event, Luke on a Suzuki 250 Savage and Fritzel on a 79 XL 250. Both have ridden the 1000 before.

My 74 125 is mostly stock except for the PVL ignition, aluminum tank and rims, and Kenda 270 tires. Other than balancing the crank to a different spec than called for in the manual, I didn't modify the motor. Timing is at 2.6 mm. When doing the rebuild I was careful to shim all the shafts to the tighter end of the specs. The carburetor is a Bing 27, 140 main and no. 5 needle, 273 needle jet. Jetting has been perfect. The spark plug is NGK Iridium. The 15/57 gearing matches the power band really well. I made one more adjustment to the upshift stop and lowered the shift lever one notch before leaving. I missed 5 shifts the first 250 miles, 3 the second 250 and only 1 yesterday. All my fault for not holding the lever up long enough. Almost all were in going from 5th to 6th. No downshifts have been missed. The gearbox seems to be getting easier to shift and my left foot is learning after a year of riding a 75 CR125. I am burning Spector Golden concentrate at 50 to 1. Fuel so far has been 93 octane car gas. The motor seems to be running ok with this fuel. When I left home the first tank was 100 percent gas and the motor made a bit more power. Adam informed me the first part of the trip we should be able to find 100 percent fuel.

Coffee is done, more later.

Rick

Serviced the bikes today and ready to ride tomorrow morning. Changed out my transmission oil and installed some new LED lights. The oil was clean with no more metal from the clutch side.

Rode to the riders meeting and just returned. We meet at 7:00am tomorrow morning. Adam assigned groups for the first day. I will be with two Hondas, a 350, 450 and a BMW. The other riders are all enthusiastic and most seem capable. One or two left the meeting to finish up some last minute repairs.

Will write more when I can.

Rick

Back to the adventure...
After arriving in Chattanooga on Saturday Randy and I had one extra day on our hands. We made contact with other riders and were housed at Luke and Fritzel's home. Sunday was spent repacking for the 1000 and running around the city to pick up some last minute items. At 7:00 pm a riders meeting was held at one of the restaurants owned by the chef that would cook and provide all the food on the trip. All the riders  and support crew were asked to introduce themselves and what bike they would be on, along with if they had been on previous 1000s.  The group didn't quite know what to think about me giving it a go on a 125, especially the veterans of the group. We received our roll charts and other papers and spent the rest of the evening making strips for each days ride. Most of the roll charts were six to eight feet long. We were to return to the restaurant at 7:00 am the next morning to begin.

Day 1
Monday
Arriving at the take off point, breakfast and coffee was available and all took part. For the first time you had a chance to see the others bikes and size up your competition. A very interesting selection, mostly Japanese, and half dirt and half road bikes. All had to carry what their rider felt would be needed for the task ahead. Some carried a little and some packed even "the kitchen sink". Soon we were off winding our way out of the city and off on a great adventure. The mileage for the first day was around 165, held short on purpose, to allow for breakdowns, on unknown bikes. Very few repairs were needed as this day was mostly road miles. We were assigned what group to ride in for the firs day only. I have no idea why or what the reason for this. It was a short day of riding and we reached camp early, in good weather. Everyone was excited to be finally off.

Not only was the choice of bikes an interesting mix, so was the choice of riding gear. All but one wore full face helmets. Basically you have the choice, try to stay dry or give it up and dry out after a hosing. Both work to a point, but neither is perfect. I choose to wear a pair of Gortex rain pants over jeans, not only for water, but to stay cleaner in the dirt. I also wore a Barbour jacket with waterproof hydrogen sweatshirt under when needed. The Barbour works well, not too heavy in the heat, and somewhat waterproof. The large pockets were very handy for carrying a hat, lunch, camera, and yes...TP. The pants have a large cargo pocket for my wallet and phone. Keeping dry feet turned out to be the problem for me. My Gortex hiking boots were damp the entire trip. I started with wearing one pair if sox and ended up wearing all three pairs I had brought along. I will have to rethink this for the 1000 in August.

I packed a small 40 degree sleeping bag, Thermorest air mattress, and lightweight two man tent with small vestibule. The tent is larger than necessary, but nice to get your gear in out of the rain and you want to leave your stinky boots and sox outside. I use Wolfman waterproof bags for holding everything. They stay dry, hold up to crashes and have excellent tie down straps.

I packed very few tools and spares. This is a crap shoot. Other than my headlight problem and flat rear tire, all I needed was two stroke oil and chain lube. I did carry a spare air cleaner and used it. One of my biggest fears was ingesting dirt into the motor. I only packed one tube, a 3.00/21, it worked fine in the rear when needed. I carried and used a CO2 tire inflator and used all three cylinders to get the tire back on the rim properly. We ran thru a lot of rocks and I wanted the tires fully inflated. Chain lube used was my drained out transmission 80 weight in a Titebond glue bottle. This along with center stand worked well. I lubed every morning and sometimes middle of the day. Chain adjust only in the morning and not every day. I brought along a spare chain block but didn't use it. I brought and used half a dozen JP rubber bands, they work great.

Early in the ride:

(https://i957.photobucket.com/albums/ae59/CheneySachs/60136035_2324526827590921_2589726783972573184_o_zpsgbavrxb9.jpg)[/URL]

The end:

(https://i957.photobucket.com/albums/ae59/CheneySachs/rs_zpskgud8kem.jpg)

Dale Fisher
Penton Owners Group - Memberships - POG Merchandise
Mudlark Registry
Facebook - Penton Owners Group - Administrator
Facebook - Cheney Racing Group - Administrator

Ok...made it home at 4:30 today. Rode 2867 miles in 13 days. It was a blast! Will I do it again? Yes, in about eight weeks, on the Vintage 1000 mountain ride. I will give it another try on my trusty Penton Six Days. Off to the showers.

More later

Rick

This bike is awesome!

The Prep. work you did on your bike for this ride paid off! Good Job! Dont let that knee get infected. Happy Trails![8D]

Back from taking my wife Donna to dinner. She puts up a lot from me and my adventures. Good to be home. I want to take my Penton completely apart to rebuild for the next trip and also to see exactly what parts wore  and how much. Each time I rode I tried to save the bike for the next day. This meant staying out of the dust as much as possible. My biggest fear was sucking in too much dirt. I thought that that would be the only thing that would ruin the motor. I am astounded by the way this Sachs motor ran for 13 days straight with almost no maintenance required.
11 out of 14 bikes finished. Of the finishing bikes some will not make it much further. The bikes that did the best were the ones that were well prepared, not necessarily the best choice for the task. The bikes that did well were also the ones ridden with the next day in mind. A good example was Thomas on the BMW R100. Not a great off road choice and a rider with little off road experience, but his machine was well prepared and he rode well. The smaller bore singles seemed to do the best. This ride tested your mechanical, riding and thinking skills. I cannot say enough good about the event and the people that put it on. All our needs were met without hesitation. Speed Deluxe and crew did an outstanding job, including the chef for the food prepared each day. Well worth the entry fee.

Rick

Day 1 cont.
This was the shortest riding day of the trip and roughly 30 percent dirt. An easy day and we all arrived at camp early except for David riding a Yamaha DT 250. Shortly after leaving Chattanooga his transmission locked, breaking the case and spilling him out on the pavement. He was unhurt but the bike was done. It was returned to Chattanooga so it wouldn't have to be hauled the entire trip on the trailer. the rest of the day was uneventful and we arrived at Turnipseed Campground in Lineville, AL. The group was in high spirits and wrongly thinking this would be an easy trip. Evenings were spent swapping stories, drinking beer, and eating a nice dinner prepared by our chef. Maintenance done we pitched tents and off to bed around 11:00.

Day 2
Days start for me around 6:00 am when my alarm goes off. It takes about an hour to pack your tent and gear back on the bike. If your roll chart for the day you have about a half an hour to gat it done before the call for breakfast at 7:30. By 8:30 the first riders ar lining up to leave. For the remainder of the trip you could choose to ride in any of the three groups. I made a point of riding with all the riders and this put me in a different group each day. This day would be more like 225 miles and 70 percent dirt. I leave with group 2 and head out. The dirt is now red and the trails getting rougher. Day 1 found some puddles on the dirt parts but today is all dry. As soon as the rough trail begins breakdowns follow. Broken luggage racks and luggage sifting caused all the groups to stop often. Also mechanical troubles slow the pace. Flat tires, poorly running engines, clogged fuel lines were common. The dust is getting worse and since my odometer died I ride near the back. I ride to the side and in a taller gear to keep dirt out of my air box. Gas stops are figured for around 100 miles and most bikes can do this. My Penton can go 125 before running out. The roll charts are "mostly correct" but we all manage to make wrong turns each day. Finding your way is part of the game. This rid is not supposed to be a race but competition develops between the groups to arrive at camp first. It was surprising to find my group leap frogging other groups several times each day. You could go from third to first and back to third in a short period of time. This day put us at Hardridge Creek Campground, Abbevile, AL around 8:00 pm, with just enough time to pitch camp, eat, swap stories and get to bed around 11:00. A pattern that would continue for the rest of the 1000.

More later

Rick

Wow, my fingers were not working too well on that last part and the proofreader failed in getting the job done.

Day 3
This day would find us in Florida and the red dirt changing to sand roads. Some of the sand was VERY deep and hard to ride in. It would have been easier if I could have gone faster, but the other riders on road bikes were having a tough time. The Honda CB750 was riding in front of me and swapped out a couple times. Not a good choice of mounts but he rode well and soldiered on. Again the dust was thick and I noticed that one SL350 Honda rider had not applied oil to his foam filters. Each morning this bike became harder to start and by the end of day three I could see the end was near. Entering Florida was like entering a war zone. Hurricane Michael had passed thru this area with winds in the 160 mph range. Mile after mile the trees were snapped off. Every other house had blue tarps nailed onto the roofs and you could tell some people just left for good. Barns an other out buildings had no evidence of being repaired. There were piles of household items and debris at the roadside that you could tell had been there for a long time, not being picked up. The only business making good are the loggers gathering up all the downed timber. There was a never ending line of semis packed with pine logs. This traffic is digging up the sand roads making large ruts and deep holes. This day was 275 miles and 85 degrees. One of our 100 mile gas stops didn't work out. Randy and I arrived first to find the station destroyed. The steel structure holding up the canopy over the pumps was bent over and the canopy tore off and landed on the building. The building was a mess. This is one of the only times we cheated and used a cell phone to find another fuel supply. Back tracking we found three of the other riders out of gas. We shared what we had and moved on, finding fuel further down the road. The last 40 miles into Appalachacola ended up being a LOOOONNNGG straight road and I held the throttle to keep up a 60 mph pace. If the motor can do that nothing will stop it. A four mile causeway and bridge brought us to the days destination, St. George Island State Park just before dark. We had enough time to take photos on the beach before pitching camp and getting dinner. Everyone was elated to be there, half way done.

Day 4
A light rain shower at 3:30 in the morning forced me to zip up my tent. No problem sleeping. On this ride since I am getting lots of exercise. My tent packed up wet today before breakfast. Each morning we have a riders meeting that lets the group know what to expect. A micro brewery had donated five cases of beer for the trip in exchange for photos of the cans being enjoyed be the participants. Adam informed us that it was already gone. Each rider pitched in a $20 to solve the problem. I decided to ride with Adam of Speed Deluxe today because he had tried to talk me out of brining a 125 two stroke. This meant I would be riding clean up and getting out of camp last. Austin made a valiant attempt to start his ailing SL 350. We pushed him up and down the parking lot but soon his one hour repair time was used up. Adam told the third group to leave and he would catch up. Now, every mile ridden would bring me closer to home. It is a bit of a strange feeling to be 1400 miles from home and only have a 125. After crossing over the causeway, we turned east along the coastal highway. The early part of the day put us on mostly paved roads, but. the view was great. Turning north found us back on the dreaded sand roads. Florida was not the riders favorite state to ride in. Thomas, on the BMW R100 wanted to make up a color chart. Red dirt, gray gravel and brown he could ride in, not buff colored sand. Another hot one today. Each morning I try to hydrate and fill my one quart water bottle. Everyone drinks at each stop. Most water, but some a gas station beer. Adam soon caught up and informed the group that Austin did start, even though his motor required the full two quarts of oil. I followed him until his rack broke for the fifteenth time, spilling its contents onto the road. Bungee straps don't get the job done. The rest of the morning was uneventful and soon the roll chart showed that we had crossed into Georgia.

Slowly the sand was replaced with red clay but not before a bit of single track. I am quite sure I have the bike for this part. Every time we enter the woods from pavement my Penton sighs with relief. A huge gully with stream crossing, large rock and climb out appeared. The rider in front of me tried the slow approach and got stuck at the bottom. After several retries he powered his way up and out. I hit the bottom with some momentum, jumped over the rock and had no problem. Thomas was next. He tried to follow my approach, flat spotted his rim on the rock and did a tank slapper up and out. Yes, it is on video. The red clay of Georgia also brought more shade of woods riding. A bit of relief from the hot sun. By the end of the day, group three had worked its way into first. The first group back to camp each day gets the best drinks and food, hence the competition. Camp Thursday evening found us in Georgia Veterans State Park in Cordele, GA. We arrived just before sunset again, covering over 200 miles on the roll chart.

Adam has been sweeping using a mono shocked Honda, not sure of the displacement, but not as vintage as the rest of of us. We had some extra time to fool around on some of the sand roads while repairs were being made. At he last gas stop of the day he mad a point of coming up to me and apologizing for bad mouthing my choice of bikes. He was astounded at its performance and ability to keep pace with the larger machines. This is the first Sachs motor he has ever come across. At the party following day 6, Matt the Honda CL360 driver did the same thing. He had not given me much chance of keeping up on the internet before the ride.

Day 5
This day turned out to have mostly dirt and gravel roads and was over 250 miles. Austin again struggled with his 350. It had used up all its oil again ind become so overheated that the points plastic insulators had melted. He tried valiantly to get going but houred out. This bike never ran again. The bikes on this trip have taken a horrible amount of abuse. Matt twice submerged his CL360 and flooded  the cylinders with muddy water. Pumped out and restarted, this machine finished all six days.

Most of the twin cylinder machines are running some kind of small pod filters, like K & N. They are cheap and look cool. Most of these riders leave off the plastic side covers, so no protection from water and dirt. These riders have never been in a hare scramble and are now going to learn a lesson. When I changed out my air filter in Florida it was almost clean.
The trail is smoother today and tree lined. You don't get a good look at the countryside in a lot of places. The riders are happy to be back on dirt. It was an easier ride. As we head north the dirt turns browner and we get into some elevation changes. I am riding with group one today, the beer drinking faster riders. Somehow, I have managed to be with the first group to reach camp each day.  On one day we even beat the support truck.
Our stop for the night is Don Carter State Park. In before dark, another ten hour day of riding. To do a trip like this you have to be prepared to ride in any condition and when fatigued and tired. I don't think about it much when riding. I only notice that most of my missed shifts come late in the day.
I am too busy enjoying the company and stuffing my face when I realize it is dark and starting to rain. I still need to pitch my tent. The instructions that came with the tent said it was possible to erect backwards, the rain fly first. I have never done this. It took a couple tries to figure out but it does work. In for the night. I love sleeping in a tent in the rain.

Day 6
The last day of the 1000 (1400).  Packed up a wet tent, not my favorite thing to do. On to breakfast and riders meeting. Adam informs us that today will by the most technical riding day and another one over 250 miles. It has stopped raining for now. I decide to ride in the third group so I can follow everyone back into Chattanooga. Our KX400 rider Jamie has had enough. She had a crash on day 5 and her bike is running poorly. She decides to take to the trailer. She rode very well on a not so good choice and with no dirt experience. She had crashed hard on day 1 of the 2018 Mountain 1000 an broken her shoulder. An interesting person, she reminds me of Janis Joplin.
Just as Group 3 heads out it begins to rain. We are heading into the mountains now and some steep climbs. One of the first is very rocky and you have to be on the pegs all the time to pick your way up. Perfect for a Penton. The off power band torque of my motor works well. The sounds coming from the engine let you know when the power will hit. I any gear but 6th riding is easy at slower rpms. I really like using 3rd and 4th.
Soon it is pouring and foggy. The rain doesn't stop except for a few times all day. My group leapfrogs into first and then back to second. I am running with Randy and a XT500. We are moving pretty fast to catch up when I swap out and high side on gravel. I remember almost saving it a couple times before going down. The camping gear really effects the handling. I ended up grinding to a stop twenty feet ahead of the bike. My left knee is bleeding, helmet scratched, but the bike only has a smashed headlight. It didn't work anyway.  My new Preston Petty is all scraped up on top. After somewhat returning to normal I remounted and headed off. I told the 500 rider it might be good to slow down but this only lasted a couple more corners. He later told Adam I was moving faster after the crash.
Twenty minutes later on a downhill my bike became very squirrels. I knew the rear tire was flat but it surprised me. I had a new tire, extra heavy tube and two rim locks. A three inch cotton pin punctured right thru. This must have come off the road grader that built the road 100 years ago. It was just waiting for me to come along.
Adam and the 500 rider wouldn't help but I had it all done in seven minutes, a 21 inch tube stuffed in. The rest of the day went well except for mr hurting knee. We didn't catch up, my fault.
Just before entering back into Chattanooga, there is group 1 waiting for us. Group 2 also caught up and the remaining 11 got to ride in together. A perfect end to a great ride. We arrived in Chattanooga at one of Jason's restaurants, tired, wet and dirty. The remains of our beer fund were on the tab. All the participants made it in but David, the DT 250 rider. He had flown out to New York. Every swapped stories and said goodbyes until the next time. A bunch of new friends have bee made.
My Penton didn't skip a beat for 1400 miles, half off road. It started easily and only required a chain adjust every other day. The spark plug changed before the start of the 1000 is still in the motor, having also run the 700 miles back to Ohio.
Thank you John Penton!

Rick

Only if the tent doesnt leak! We will see if my rainsuit leaks at Hangtown MX today.:)

Spotted this photo/video link on Instagram this morning.

Photo:
(Video not active, go to link below)

(https://i957.photobucket.com/albums/ae59/CheneySachs/Insta148_zpsgiiknael.jpg)

Video link:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxml9qohzHv/

Click on the white arrow for Rick crossing a small river and climbing a hill.  The BMW following goes straight for the rock....

Dale Fisher
Penton Owners Group - Memberships - POG Merchandise
Mudlark Registry
Facebook - Penton Owners Group - Administrator
Facebook - Cheney Racing Group - Administrator

I remember that spot. I had wanted to hit it with some momentum but when I arrived there was a bike stuck at the rock. I have nothing bad to say about Thomas and his ride on the BMW R90/6. He had the heaviest bike and rode it VERY well.

Think about this...

My Sachs motor ran for about 90 hours...
Times 60 minutes per hour...
Times average 5000 RPM...
That means the crank turned  27 million turns!
I started with .001" end play...
I now have .002" end play...
Unbelievable on Golden Spectro 50 to 1, 93 octane auto fuel.

More on the engine next week after I can catch up a bit at my work.

Rick

One more thought..

27 million turns...
Times 2.126" stroke...
Divided by 63,360 inches per mile...
Times up and down...
The piston traveled 1,812 miles in the bore!

Someone check my math.

Rick

And the piston averaged over 20 MPH in the bore...

With Mid Ohio now over, I have removed the motor and disassembled for inspection. The piston started life at 54.93 mm and now measures 54.90 mm after roughly 3500 miles, including 700 in the dust on the trip. Piston clearance went from .0025" to just short of .004". Top ring gap is now .012". Crank end play gained .001" and is now .002". The rod has no play I can detect on either end. Tomorrow I will measure the clutch. 19 days before round two. I leave for the Vintage 1000 mountain route on August 2nd, a 2400 mile trip.
 
Rick